Tuesday, April 5, 2011

How to Make Matching Bias Cording Part 4

Yea! You (we) made it. (Links to parts 1,2,and 3 below if you missed them.) It's the last set of instructions. I may have given you way too much detail, and if that's so, sorry. I just know that I read so many different instructions from so many sources before I actually got it. There actually is a way to make the cording in one continuous strip instead of sewing together the individual strips. I've yet to be able to visualize that one and continue to make the cording the long way. If anyone out there can explain it to me, I'd love to hear from you.

Let's finish this up. I'm assuming that you all know how to cover a chair seat. Here is an image of the top side of the seat, and the next is of the underside.

Step 10. Next you need to attach the bias cording to the underside of the chair seat with a staple gun, preferably an electric one, and a cardboard upholstery tack strip. You can buy the tack strip by the yard at fabric stores, or order this monster roll like I did on line here. Mine is the $3.99 one and looks like this. The tack strip is important because it keeps the cording straight and you don’t use as many staples.

Step 11. You will be following the perimeter of the chair seat with the cording and tack strip. Start the end in an inconspicuous spot. Do not start/finish in the center front or back of the chair seat. I started on the side, very near the back. Align the cording with the outside edge of the chair then lay the tack strip on top of the cording and staple in place. Hint: Leave a little extra cording without the tack strip on the end as I did in the photo below. You'll see why this is important later.

Hint: When you turn the corner you''ll love how smoothly the cording follows the contour. When turning the corner with the cardboard tack strip bend it over to make an angle. Photo of this below.

Step 12. Continue around the perimeter until both ends meet. Make sure that you leave one end longer when you cut the cording and tack strip. You'll need this "extra" to to finish the ends. See below.

Step 13. Take the longest end and pull back the cording to expose the cotton filler cord.

Step 14. Cut off the exposed cotton filler cord.

Step 15. Now you have a hollow tube on one side. Smooth out the cording and fold down the edges to create a finished edge.

Step 16. Tuck the cording with the filler into the empty area you just created.

Step 17. Lay the tack strip over both ends and staple in place.

This method creates a nice clean seam where the ends meet.

Go ahead, admit that it was worth the extra effort to get a look like this.

I did this in a solid fabric, but I've also used contrasting fabric for the cording. That is another way to add a custom look. You can use this same idea when making pillow covers with cording, or slipcovers too.